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Author Topic: My Journey with different nails  (Read 1444 times)

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mission

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My Journey with different nails
« on: August 12, 2019, 07:30:26 AM »

Started journey in 2014 with a proprietory rod from one of the former CIS countries. No Drs will be mentioned. Left leg did 7cm. A number of issues experienced with surgery resulting in 3 extra operations. I wasn't the only one. I saw other patients with similar issues and massive scars on legs. None of the key hole people talk about. Awoke under anaesthesia for about 5 min while a power drill was going into my bone, could not talk, blink, move, scream or anything. I'm not the only person who awoke under anaesthesia under this Dr. To this day original surgery issues exist which  need to be resolved including piece of stray metal what looks like a washer floating around near left pelvis. Screw so long that it protrudes about 1 to 2cm outside the bone rubbing against the muscle, a screw which never even went through the nail hole, missed altogether. Got 7cm though but not a clean journey.

Right leg same CIS country device failed to work ie did not distract and as I later found out distracted randomly by itself. Non union. Subsequently device broke inside femur. Screws not broken only rod broken.

2015 in a western country this time removed broken CIS country rod. At this point bone refused to join. Bone atrophy starting. 6.5 hour operation to remove broken rod and insert internationally recognised standard nail. Cadavar bone graft attempted but subsequently failed. Non union. Then screw broke early 2016 due to ongoing non union.

Mid 2016 another 6.5 hour operation. Precise nail inserted through knee. Distracted 1.5cm in agony. Went to emergency. Bone was not fully cut through all the way by surgeon in Western country. Was pulling my bone apart with precise nail. Second surgery to cut bone all the way. Ultimately distracted 4cm to equalise legs (later found was insufficient) . New hip rod inserted and bone graft from pelvis. 2 rods in same leg. Very difficult to heal fracture high up near hip which resulted from CIS country rod. .every surgeon I met says the hardest area to achieve union is near hip. Nerve damage happened during surgery within my left leg which quite frankly was worse than the pain from distracting my right leg.

2019 today I finally have have union of both the left leg hip and where I distracted the precise nail. Right Leg still 1.5cm shorter than left leg. Will probably extend right leg again given precise nail already in right leg because I notice the difference.

How do I feel... Pain in knees when walking, still use single crutch, pain at hip site. Overgrowth of bone on hip causing pain I guess due to bone graft. Nerve pain in left leg but 50% better. For life now I guess.

What to be aware of.
1) you can get this done in a third world country but beware. What will you do if something goes wrong. Look at the CIS country rod design. The average surgeon cannot remove this. It's designed for a reason like this.  My overall cost to date noting complications has been greater than if I spent the money once and did it properly in a first world country not to mention 5 years of disability.

2) I did nearly 7cm.i think that is too much. Probably 5 would have been better to keep agility.

Your pain tolerance will increase and I've been through a lot. Ask questions so I can help anyone with my experience.
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daikioni

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Re: My Journey with different nails
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2019, 09:02:02 AM »

Are you finally feeling any better? surgery in west countries was better? did you woke up from anesthesia in western countries too?
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mission

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Re: My Journey with different nails
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2019, 09:26:43 AM »

Hi I am getting better with time thanks. My mobility has improved a lot with bone union. Will never have the pain free agility at the knees to say for example play tennis and pivot or move fast or go for a run ever again. I have a lot of tigtness in my left leg largely due to nerve damage and problem is I can no longer stretch due to the nerve pain. I think I will lengthen the last 1.5cm in the right leg in the next 1-2 months. Need to also figure out a way to get the CIS country rod out of my lef leg without destroying my leg. The surgeons here after removing the other one said they never want to touch the other one. Once again I guess it was designed as being difficult to remove by anyone other than the people who own it.

It was a huge huge milestone to have bone union and equalise my leg length. I have never woken up under Anesthesia in a western country but I noted at least 2 other people 1 who I spoke to face to face who woke under Anesthesia. It was really fobbed off by the surgeon as a no big deal and to be honest with you I am pretty tough and can't say I have PTSD or anything but others may. I know after this the surgeon replaced the Anesthetist.  The odds are very low of waking up under Anesthesia and surgeons here are very surprised to hear this happened to me. This goes to show when you pay the surgeon all this cash he of course is using someone he pays a few hundred dollars to in these countries to maximise his profits. The cheapest way out for them.

Surgeons here are more professional. They lack the daily engagement with the patient and I know when I was in recovery I saw my surgeon twice in 10 days for 5mins each and this was a 6.5 hour operation. The surgeons in the CIS obviously are with you all the time. They come to your home, they eat with you, drink with you but that does not make up for the lack of their skill and I can say some of the stuff the surgeons in the western world saw in my leg they said the learner doctors would not make these same mistakes here.
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awatim

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Re: My Journey with different nails
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2019, 12:25:53 PM »

does the knee pain may be caused by nailing through the knee? how to get rid of such a knee pain
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PANDA:BEAR..

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Re: My Journey with different nails
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2019, 02:45:56 PM »

Sharing your experience and hard times ... is very important to all of us .. on this site.
Can you share with us .. which country you had 1st surgery.. where things went wrong for you ?
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JsElysianEagle

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Re: My Journey with different nails
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2019, 09:28:54 PM »

It boggles my mind that there are people that will even consider doing a surgery of such complexity and potentially life-long consequences anywhere besides a first world country. Yes I know not everyone can afford the high price tag of getting it done in the US or Western Europe, but the alternative - possibly messing up the one body you will ever have - is so much worse than not doing the surgery at all!
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Michael01

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Re: My Journey with different nails
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2019, 09:50:36 PM »

His account was created in 2014. You can check his post history.

I'm sorry for the trouble you are in. I wish all the best for you, mission. Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. It is eye opening. Some people here are too optimist about this procedure. They need to understand there are consequences, maybe for the rest of the life, if things go wrong.

Could you post some xrays?
« Last Edit: September 29, 2019, 11:23:51 PM by Michael01 »
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